Steam and aj r brake coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

I H. B. HOWARD.

Steam and Air Brake Coupling.

No. 233,513. Patented Oct. 19,1880.

I/uran Zir- 6213 WW TO-UTMOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON u c (No Model.)2'Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. B. HOWARD.

Steam and Air Brake Coupling.

No. 233,513. Patented Oct. 19,1880.

Q I Q R U NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

HORACE B. HOWARD, OF BELVIDERE, ILLINOIS.

STEAM AND AIR BRAKE COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 233,513, dated October19, 1880.

Application filed June 15, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HORACE B. HOWARD, ofBelvidere, in the county of Boone and State of 'Illinois, have inventeda new and useful Coupling in Steam or Air Oar-Brakes, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Myinvention relates to'tlie coupling of the tubes in steam or aircar-brakes as applied in railroad-cars; and it consists in producing anautomatic self coupling of the steam or air tubes necessary to beemployed in the use of such brakes, and the devices, their construction,arrangement, application, and operation will be hereinafter more fullydescribed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an isometrical representationof a portion of a car-body to which my improvements are fixed in place,of which Fig. 2-is a view of the under side. Fig. 3.is also anunder-side yiew, in which the tubes and their supports 'are'representedin horizontal section, and Fig. 4 is an isometrical representation ofthe hand-wheel andratchet-connectiou with its shaft located on the deckof the car.

In the figures is represented a portion of what is known as a box-car,in which A represents the bottom portion, B the sides, 0 the end, and Dthe top or deck. These portions may be of any suitable material, framedor joined in any of the usual or known forms to produce the body or boxportion of the wellknown box-carnowin general use on railroads. Thesecars are fitted with self-coupling air or steam tubes E and F, of acapacity to render them capable of use in connection with air or steambrakes as now used on railroad-cars. Of these the tubes E arereceiving-tubes, fitted with a tunnel or hollow conic outer receivingend, a, and are placed on the under side and on diagonal opposite endcorners of the ear, supported in flexible hearings, in this instanceconsisting of a rubber block, b, supported in a metallic case of chestor box like form, as represented at G, which are firmly fixed inposition on the under side of the car on its diagonal opposite endcorners. These tubes, thus flexibly supported, permit their ends toaccommodate themselves to the various oscillatory movements of the cars.These tubes, rearward of their flexible support, are fitted with asingle-way valve, (represented at 0;) when in the position represented,its

(No model.)

opening will coincide with the opening in the tube and produce a freepassage to the air or steam employed, and when turned with its openingat right angles therewith will completely close the opening and preventthe passage of airor steam.

At 01 is represented a shaft, which is con nected with the valve-stockby an eye-joint hinge, and is supported in a suitable hearing, 0,depending -from the side of the car. The outer end of this shaft 01 isfitted with a crankarm, f, to which is connected a rod, g, which extendsup the side of the car, rising through a suitable guide-support, h, to aproper distance above the car, having its upper end fitted with ahand-loop, i, as a convenient means by which to operate the valve fromthe deck of the car to open and close the tubular passage. This verticalshaft, near the center of its length, is fitted with a stud, fprojecting laterally therefrom, fitted to slide vertically in aguide-loop, k, fixed to the side of the car, having its upper endportionfitted with a notch to receive the stud, into which it enters bytorsionalsprin g action of the shaft, and operates to hold the valve inposition to close the tubular passage, and from which it may bedisengaged by means of the hand-loop, to slide it down in the guide-loopto change the valve to open the tubular passage, as represented in thedrawings. The inner surface of the tunnel end portions of thereceivii'ig-tubes is fitted with an elastic lining, in this instance ofrubber, fitted to receive a suitable tube to produce an air-tight joint.

At 1 are represented rubber-block bearings, supported in a metalliccase, H, of chest or box like form, and are firmly fixed to the underside of the car on the diagonal corners thereof, opposite to the incasedbearings of the receiving-tubes. These parts to this extent are in everyparticular substantially the same as like parts employed in connectionwith the receiving-tubes. In this instance the rubber bearings areprovided with a tubular thimble, m, adapted to receive a suitableairtube fitted to slide therein lengthwise freely. These bearings, andalso the bearings of the receiving-tubes, are provided withbracingsupports a, to render them more secure in their position on thecars.

At F are represented air-tubes fitted to slide lengthwise freely in thethimble bearings. The rear portions of these tubes are fitted with aspiral spring, 0, placed between the rubber bearing and a yoke, o,fitted on their rear portion, operating to retract the tubes and holdthem in theposition represented in solid lines. The yokes o are fixed tothe rear portion of their respective tubes F, and are each provided withan arm, 0, which extends toward the end of the car parallel with thetubes, and their forward end portions are supported in guides 0', fixedto the metallic casing containing their rubber bearings. The forward endof these arms, extending through the guides, are each provided with acord or chain,p, which is connected to a shaft, 10, supported insuitable hearings in a vertical position on the end of the car, andextending above the deck thereof, having a haml-wheel,p, mounted on itsupper end, by means of which the shaft may be rotated to wind the cordor chain thereon, which action will cause the tube F to moveendwisethrough the thimble-bearing, to extend it forward of the car, asrepresented in dotted lines, to enter the receiving-tube, as representedin dotted lines, to produce an automatic coupling when the cars are runtogether. These vertical shafts 1), connected with the endwise-movingtubes, are each fitted with a ratchet-wheel, .s', at or near the uppersurface of the car-deck, fitted to receive the free end ofa pawl, s,pivoted to the car in position to engage the teeth of the ratchet-wheel,and is actuated by a spring (represented at s) to hold it in contactwith the ratchet, to prevent the tube from running back by the action ofthe spiral spring 0.

From the foregoingit will be seen that with these parts in place on thecars, as above described, there will be a tunnel-mouthed receiving-tubeand a tube fitted to enter its elasticlined portion on opposite sides ofeach end of the car and on opposite ends of each side,and that likeparts will be placed on diagonal opposite corners of the car. The endsof these tubes toward the center of the car are designed to be connectedby a flexible tubing or hose, either in line parallel with thelengthwise direction of the car or diagonally therewith, to produce acontinuous tube throughout its length.

From this description it will be seen that a series of cars fitted inthis manner with my improvements will always be in position for thecouplings to engage each other, irrespective of which end or ends of thecars are brought in contact; and it will also be clearly understood thatwith the pointed tubes F extended as in the dotted lines, when the carsare run together on the track, the pointed tube will enter thetunnel'monthed tubes on both sides of the cars, and by means of theelastic lining of the tunnel-mouthed tube will produce an air-tightjoint, and the flexibility of their bearings will permit of theoscillatory movements of the cars without disturbing the joint to injureit, and when thus coupled the opening of the valve of the car to whichthe coupling is made will permit the passage of the air to operate thebrakes when suitably connected therewith.

When the cars are not in use the pointed tubes F may be retracted withinthe dimensions of the cars by disengaging the pawl s, to permit thespiral springs to exert their force to retract the tubes to the positionrepresented in the solid lines.

My improved system of connecting the tubes of the air or steam brakes iscapable of use on cars fitted with any of the usual draft-couplings nowin use, but especially on cars fitted with a self-coupling device, andwhen so applied reuders the cars completely self-coupling.

1 claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with a receiving-pipeprovided with a flaring mouth, of a longitudinally-:uljustablecoupling-tube, a spring for retaining it in its retracted position, anddevices for forcing its outer end into the flaring mouth of thereceiving-pipe on the next adjacent car, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a receiving-pipe constructed with a flaringmouth, of a longitudinally-adjustablecoupling-tube,aspringfor retainingit in its retracted position, and a flexible connection with awinding-shaft for moving the coupling-tube against the force of thespring, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a receiving-pipe constructed with a flaringmonth, of a longitudinally adjustable coupling tube, a spring forretaining said tube in its retracted position, a chain-winding shaft,and ratchet and pawl for forcing the coupling-tube outwardly intoengagement with the mouth of the receivingtube and retaining it incontact therewith, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the tube of an air or steam orake, of a valve,jointed valve-rod, crank-arm, and connecting-rod extending to the top ofthe car, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the tube of an air or steam brake, of a rubberblock supported in a casing, said block serving to support the tube andallow it to move either laterally or vertically, substantially as setforth.

6. The combination, with the coupling-tube of an air or steam brake, ofa rubber block supported in a casing and a thimble located in said blockand encircling the coupling-tube, substantially as set forth.

HORACE B. HOWARD.

Witnesses:

Gnomes S. HOWARD, A. O. BEHEL.

